Interesting. I have cut a ton of glass, and one trick I use is putting the piece of glass on a piece of cardboard or two, after its scored, and then just apply gentle pressure on the score line. The cardboard compresses enough to allow the glass to break.
Thanks for the excellent instructions. I hate cutting mirrors. I lost my confidence on the last job when cutting an old mirror that had glue spots on the back - which did not allow the clean break. Just bought an Ikea mirror that I had to cut down slightly to fit on a cabinet in a trailer. Was all excited to use your oil and gentle jiggle technique........went like crap! The Ikea mirror had a plastic layer stuck on the back which did not allow the clean break. Annoyed with myself as I could easily have scored that plastic with utility knife and removed it from the area I was cutting. Anyway, I will try your technique again on the next glass cutting job. For those cutting mirrors, watch out for the plastic backing. It makes a guy unhappy! By the way, I had some 1/8 plastic panel edge that hid my "crap cut" under and it looks fine (in case anyone else needs to camouflage their work).
Finally a video that actually shows how to cut glass mirror tiles. Never would have thought of using some oil. Nice job and thanks for making the video.
Awesome. It worked just like you said! Thanks. I bought that tool at hardware store and the guy said it wont cut my mirror but i bought anyway. Sure enough, i read instructions and tried to cut and it didn't cut. But then i saw this video. You say to add oil and do the tapping. Those 2 actions must be where the magic happens because it cut great now. I gotta share that with the hardware store guy. Thanks
Thanks Dave. I have been nervous about cutting mirror to use in my mosaics, but your video is so easy to follow I'm going to have a go tomorrow. I also realise I had tried to cut the mirror on the wrong side. Thanks
Hi Dave, your cut seems so smooth and easy breezy!! I tried using that tool from Lowe’s as the one from Amazon I ordered is not coming until next week. I totally messed up my piece. I have a total of 20 to cut so I will continue my project doing it differently unfortunately. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Easy to follow, great camera angle for visual. May I suggest using a mask when sanding, otherwise I think you covered the safety issues for eyes and hands.
A slight curve, yes. If you want a more exaggerated curve, you can cut half of it and then continue your line straight (into the "waste edge", part you're cutting off), then, do the same at the other end of the curve you want to cut. I hope that makes sense! See glass cutting videos for better info.
May I also add whenever sanding of any sort or using any type of spray (not including medication) please use a mask (paper or respirator) according to your project. Coming from someone who has lung issues.
NICEE! Are there any products that would seal the edges of mirrors/glass, for those who want to hang them without a frame, so no one gets cut if they touch it? If so do you have a video on it?
inUR2teeth I'm not 100% percent sure but I think it allows the cutter to flex as you're applying pressure to the cutting wheel. but I really don't know it might be for some other purpose
I suppose you could trace around a circular object, but it would be difficult. For circles i've seen people use those suction cups on a rotating bar. (kind of like in the movies where they cut a hole in the window of a skyscraper and sneak in). So ya you could cut angles and circles, as long as you have something to trace.
I don't know. Not sure about ikea mirrors. But this works with glass. So if they are like most mirrors it's just a piece of glass with a backing on it. Maybe ikea mirrors are made of something else??
@@DaveWirth I have IKEA' mirror I need to cut is there any other thing I could use to it with Stanley's knife or any type of glass scissors or something
@@Ukman-england I don't think so. YOu need to use special Carbide that will grind and cut into the glass. Normal steel blades will just slide on the surface.
@@Ukman-england like a grinding wheel? Maybe, but the glass might break. A glass cutting knife is only like $5 but ya, it's something you buy and then never ever use again. Maybe just using the grinding wheel in your hand. All you have to do is create a score line, to tell the glass where to break. Even with the glass cutter you are only "cutting" into the glass like 1/32 or 1/16 of an inch.
So I've been seeing a lot of these irregular Nordic style mirrors that have a wavy shape, how would you go about cutting a larger mirror in that shape? maybe do it in parts?
Acrylic would act like plastic, not shatter or crack like a typical piece of glass. It might work if you score a line with a glass cutter or razor blade/utility knife. Might have to use a fine tooth saw? Not sure about a mirror with beveled edges, but should work as long as you score the line the entire length and tell the glass where to break.
Yes but it can be tricky when trying to snap an narrow and long piece. For example it's much easier breaking something in half. But snapping something off that's 1" wide and 4'long is tough. You might have to go slowly and possibly use pliers.
I remember a movie where someone uses a quarter with one part of the coin that was damaged with the bottom of a chair leg to break 1 way a mirror while captured, it had something to do with terrorists who trapped tourists in Alcatraz and the person who destroyed the glass with the coin was someone who escaped from Alcatraz. Long and short of it could you try doing this with a quarter to see if it works?
I believe that movie was called "Dwayne Johnson". And ya, when i tried cutting with a metal razor blade and a nail it just slid across the glass and wouldn't bite in. Womack!
Maybe score it several times with the glass cutter. Then use pliers and break pieces off on the line. It's too narrow to break using 2 hands, so you will have to use pliers.
No i think you need some sort of hard carbide tip to grind into the glass. Any steel knife/razor blade will just slide over the glass and not score it.
